An agenda for Illinois agriculture

IN A WAY, it seems like a cruel joke to talk of a long-term agenda for Illinois agriculture. As of late April, farmers still didn't know whether they would have the money to plant this year's crops or the markets to get a return on them.

Angered by high interest rates and low grain prices (caused by the embargo on Russian grain purchases), Illinois farm organizations drew up — in an unprecedented show of unity — a set of demands for President Carter. What they wanted was immediate measures to improve grain prices, federal action on markets and farm production of alcohol, and deeper cuts in government spending — though not in aid to farmers.

On the state level, what farmers are hoping for this year is tax relief in the form of a phaseout of the sales tax on farm machinery. They are also trying to unite behind a bill to delay implementation of the amended 1977 Farmland Assessment Act. Although the act was designed to preserve farmland by keying taxes to productivity, some farmers say later amendments to the act would unfairly raise assessments, especially in southern Illinois.

But while debates for immediate relief for farmers are going on, a long-term agenda for Illinois agriculture is taking shape and will get more attention in the 1980's. Farmlands were specifically mentioned in Gov. James R. Thompson's State of the State message, and more legislative initiatives are expected.

The prospects for the future are bright, especially in terms of markets for farm goods and agricultural machinery in South America, the Middle East and the Far East. But the margins of the future are slim. If soil erosion and conversion of prime farmland to other uses are not halted, increased yields per acre will no longer be able to compensate for farmland losses by the year 2000.

Groundwork for future agricultural policy was laid down this year when the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) was designated the lead agency for ag land preservation. IDOA's new division of natural resources will oversee the state's federally mandated soil erosion program and the implementation of the 1979 Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act (P.A. 81-1173) which allows counties to establish areas that can be used only for agriculture. The division will also review applications for stripmining, though final decisions rest with the Department of Mines and Minerals.

Markets and soil erosion

The IDOA's 1981 budget asks for an increase in funding for marketing programs, both domestic and foreign. There is also a trend towards more cooperation with the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA). IDOA's Export Advisory Committee has been reactivated and contributed to the interim report of the bipartisan legislative Commission for Economic Development. The commission says exports of agricultural products could increase dramatically in the next five years if the proper marketing program is instituted. In-state markets for Illinois farm products are also promising, starting with gasohol.

The state's voluntary plan for erosion control to be administered by local soil and water conservation districts has been submitted to the General Assembly. Emphasizing conservation tillage, the plan calls for bringing all gently sloping land to tolerable soil loss limits by 1988. By the year 2000, all land should be within tolerable limits.

Significantly, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) directed the planning process to develop erosion control measures as mandated by the 1972 amendments to the federal Water Pollution Control Act. Farmers, environmentalists and scientists helped draw up the state plan.

What may make the voluntary program work is the threat of federal regulations — which could come in five years if farmers don't clean up their act. But a mandate without funding is meaningless. The cost of erosion control in Illinois over the next 20 years is estimated at $748 million. The 1981 state budget recommends $500,000 for a conservation tillage program in targeted areas. According to Jim Frank, head of IDOA's division of natural resources, the U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service provides about $6 million a year for anti-erosion projects (such as dams and terraces) which farmers match with another $6 million. Farmers themselves contribute many conservation measures for free. But funding still falls far short of what's needed.

One of the major causes of heavy soil loss is the cultivation of soybeans and corn on land that should have been left alone. That's where the erosion occurs, but that's also where the money is. Developing stronger meat and dairy markets could save soil.

Farmland conversion

The passage of the agricultural areas conservation act was a first step in preserving prime farmland for agriculture. But the final version (amendatorily vetoed by the governor) was weaker than the original. Although there may be less highway construction and "leapfrog" development into famlands, the law provides little control over conversion in areas contiguous to municipalities. Utilities, coal

Continued on back cover

2/June 1980/Illinois Issues

The state of the State
Continued from pane 2

An agenda for Illinois agriculture

companies and municipalities opposed the bill, and there is still a lack of unanimity among farmers who are fiercely protective of their property rights.

According to Frank, the state will announce a new farmland policy this July at the Governor's Conference on Preserving Agricultural Land. The policy will commit the state to the preservation of agricultural land, setting the stage for requiring state agencies like IEPA, the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Commerce Commission to assess the impact of their projects (such as sewage plants, roads and utility easements) on farmland.

Sponsored by the Illinois Agricultural Association and a host of state agencies, the conference will be a gathering of farm groups, local government people, chambers of commerce, developers and coal companies. That, in itself, is a new development. And there may be other initiatives in the future, including proposals requiring counties and other local governments to develop policies to preserve ag land.

Agriculture has been a major concern of comprehensive planning efforts like the State Chamber of Commerce's Illinois 2000 and the Commission for Economic Development as well as the legislative Task Force on the Future of Illinois and the Rural Revitalization Planning Program, sponsored jointly by IDOA and DCCA. Their findings have developed a certain amount of consensus on agricultural policy — and quite a bit of heady excitement.